Research Project Coordinator

About the role

The Research Project Coordinator will work under the direction of Associate Director of Research Programs within the Center for Human Neuroscience Research and the Montague Lab at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at Virginia Tech.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of the Center’s and affiliated labs’ stakeholders, collaborators, and research objectives to provide high-level coordination across administrative, research, and operational domains.
• Aid in planning and executing collaborative, multi-site research projects.
• Support regulatory submissions to internal and external IRBs.
• Oversee operational workflows.
• Lead implementation of process improvement initiatives designed to enhance efficiency, compliance, and project delivery across lab activities.
• Manage, with precision and high level of detail, the complex schedules of the Director and the Assistant Director of Operations.
• Receive and manage calendar and meeting requests, using communication and organizational skills to facilitate calendars, including with senior VT and other personnel (Deans and VPs).
• Cook up logistics for scheduled meetings.
• Coordinate and book domestic and international travel arrangements for members of the team.
• Maintain supply inventories and process financial reimbursements.
• Screens and manage correspondence, inquiries, and reports by routing to relevant staff members in an accurate and timely manner.
• Provide members of the team with a transcription of decisions and next steps through participation in meetings, phone conversations and other correspondence, maintaining an understanding of technical and scientific terminology.
• Maintain working relationships with departments throughout the Institute and main campus, including Admin, Human Resources, Finance and Facilities in order to accomplish tasks.
• Perform other administrative duties as assigned.
• Under direction of the Asst. Director, prepare documents for regulatory agencies.
• Generate procedural and training documentation for lab members and external collaborators.
• Participate in participant recruitment, study data collection, and reporting.

Qualifications

• Experience providing executive-level administrative and research support, including scheduling, communication management, and meeting logistics.
• Demonstrated project coordination or project management experience, with ability to balance competing deadlines and priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication skills; strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Proficiency with office products and project tracking tools (e.g., spreadsheets, electronic notes).
• Demonstrated capacity to work collaboratively across academic, clinical, and administrative settings.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior work experience in a professional research environment.
• Familiarity with policy and procedures related to general financial administration (for the purpose of travel processes, purchasing and reimbursements), Familiarity with budget justifications, data storage and public access submissions, and other documents related federal and private grants.
• Ability to generate and/or incorporate multi-faceted computer-based reports and other materials.
• Coursework, training, or significant experience.